There be no blush about my name. I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near! Or did I dream that? Lashing out at Proctor after he rebuffs her advances, Abigail uses a simile to compare his behavior during a past adulterous encounter to that of a male horse in the act of mating. Abigail brings the other girls into the court, and where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel.
In this simile, Elizabeth Proctor compares Abigail leading the girls through the crowded courtroom to the Old Testament story of Moses parting the Red Sea so the Israelites could pass through.
In this metaphor, Francis Nurse compares his falsely accused wife, Rebecca Nurse, to the bricks and mortar that hold up the church building, suggesting that she cannot be a witch because she is such a stout Christian. Enraged at the unjust accusations leveled against his wife Elizabeth, in this simile John Proctor vows to destroy the court with the ferocity of an ocean wave crashing upon a beach. In this metaphor, Danforth likens himself to the rising sun shining a light on evils that had previously been indistinguishable from good.
The Crucible. What is the setting of Act Three? The courthouse. What is the significance of the behind the scenes discussion between Hathorne, Danforth, Martha Corey, and Giles Corey? They want Mary Warren to say that it is all a pretense.
The girls are putting up a pretense to save themselves. What is the significance of Proctor plowing on Sunday? They used this as evidence against him. Why do they want him to do so? Why does Proctor refuse? They call his bluff. This is not a true court.
Proctor refuses to assist Giles and Francis. She portrays herself as an irrationally jealous wife, "I came to think he fancied her. And so one night I lost my wits, I think, and put her out on the highroad" pg. The one time when the perpetually honest Elizabeth chose to lie also happened to be the time when it was most critical for her to tell the truth. Both she and John take actions to protect each other in different ways, but they end up worsening the situation because their priorities are misaligned.
The hysteria on display in The Crucible reaches its peak during Act 3. Throughout, there are examples of the court officials ignoring logic and evidence in favor of ignorance and paranoia.
It becomes clear that the court has chosen to believe the accusers, and any evidence presented indicating that they are frauds is discounted. When the petition testifying to the good character of the accused women is presented, the reaction from Danforth, Hathorne, and Parris is to arrest the people who signed it rather than consider that this might indicate the women's innocence.
The power of mass hysteria is further revealed when Mary can't pretend to faint outside of the emotionally charged courtroom environment. She believed she had seen spirits before because she was caught up in the delusions of those around her.
Abigail also distracts the judges from any rational investigation in this act by playing into the mass hysteria. This is not a decision that is made lightly in a town where reputation is so important. She acts under the assumption that his reputation is still of paramount importance and does not reveal the affair. Concern for reputation is also expressed in this act by Danforth and Hale, who both reference the decisions they have already made condemning people to death or imprisonment.
Hale is more willing to consider that he made a mistake "I beg you, stop now before another is condemned! He doesn't want his name to end up on the ignorant side of history. Desires to preserve power and authority play a prominent role in the actions of characters in this act, particularly the judges.
Disruptions to the court are treated with great suspicion. John Proctor is immediately asked whether he intends to overthrow the court when he attempts to present contradictory testimony. The people in positions of power have no ability to see things from another perspective because their focus is so concentrated on maintaining their authority.
As evidence is presented, it becomes clear that the court is more concerned with preserving an air of infallibility than making just decisions. John Proctor admonishes Mary Warren to tell the truth about the fraudulent nature of the witchcraft accusations, citing examples from scripture to encourage her to do the right thing. When the truth is finally revealed, it is alien to the judges. How is Mary capable of pretending to faint in the courtroom but not now? And how could she be devious enough to pull off such dramatic false accusations?
No one who's in a position to reverse the course of events figures out the truth of what's lurking under the metaphorical floorboards in Salem until it's too late. Now for a quick review of what happened in Act 3. Cue bullet points! Act 3 makes it clear that the court officials are not willing to see reason.
However, there's still a question of who will ultimately face the death penalty over these false accusations and what the fallout of the trials will be in Salem. All this and more will be revealed in Act 4, the final chapter. Check out our Act 4 summary or, if you want a recap of the entire story, our summary of the full plot of The Crucible , complete with character descriptions and a list of themes.
The events in Act 3 incorporate some key character developments. We've also written short articles on confusing questions that often come up when students study The Crucible.
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Score on SAT Math. Score on SAT Reading. What happens when Mary Warren tells the court the truth about the girls acting bewitched? Why does Reverend Hale change his mind about the witch trials? Quotes Deputy Governor Danforth.
We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment. You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between.
This is a sharp time, now, a precise time — we live no longer in the dusky afternoon when evil mixed itself with good and befuddled the world.
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